Bonded cut-off wheels can be used to snag or slice materials such as stone or metal. To improve the quality of the cut, reduce power consumption and weight, cut-off wheels often have relatively thin diameters. Thin wheels, however, tend to be less resistant to forces acting on the wheel during its operation. As a result, such wheels often are internally reinforced.
In many cases thin wheels include discs cut from nylon, carbon, glass or cotton cloth and the cost of the reinforcement material can add to the overall manufacturing cost. In addition, incorporating multiple discs can complicate the fabrication process and the presence and/or integration of the reinforcement material within the wheel can affect wheel properties and/or performance.
A need continues to exist, therefore, for cut-off wheels that exhibit good mechanical properties and that can be produced economically, without sacrificing wheel performance and usable life of the wheel. In a more general sense, there is a need for improved reinforced bonded abrasive wheels.